Post by Charlotte Schöllkopf

The application you haven't submitted yet might be the best decision you haven't made. Last semester I wrote about how Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) made me sharp, overwhelmed, and more critical, all at once. This time, I want to talk about something different: the people who DON'T apply. And I want to speak directly to them - especially to the women reading this! Academic research often highlights how women are less likely to apply, enter competition, or evaluate their performance positively when compared to male participants. imo it’s a great strength to be critical, humble, and check one’s confidence regularly, but sometimes it’s worth just saying YES besides all doubts and take 👏🏽 the 👏🏽 chance 👏🏽! In other words: the gap often isn't in ability. It's in who decides to show up. I, too, almost didn't show up. I have a background in psychology and statistics and data science, I’m not a founder, not a classic tech person, not someone with a business plan in my pocket. I’m more of an interdisciplinary type on the margins of a lot of boxes. I genuinely wasn't sure I was a "CDTM type." But CDTM doesn't have a type. It has a standard, yes, and that standard is ambition, curiosity, and the genuine drive to build something meaningful. Or as Klaus Diepold always emphasizes: to be an “Innovator of Tomorrow” - whatever shape that innovation takes. And my "non-standard" background turned out to be exactly my USP: A different lens, a fresh perspective, a creative approach, an understanding of the human (mind) behind everything we build. That perspective is genuinely valued, not just tolerated. And CDTM isn’t even an incubator, accelerator, or startup program. Not everyone founds a company, and that was never the point. What CDTM is, is a place where ambitious, sharp, genuinely interesting people collide. What you do after that collision is entirely up to you. Some go into academia. Some land innovation roles in places that need exactly their kind of thinking. Some go into consulting. Some do research at MIT, Stanford, or Harvard. And yes, some found companies. And when they do, their odds of success are remarkably higher, because they take off with a solid runway: a real network, critical sparring partners, technical fluency in evaluating ideas, markets, and products, and people who might one day become their co-founders. CDTM is a stepping stone into an entirely new world of open doors. So… the logic is simple: if you don’t apply, you will definitely not get in. Applying will increase your chance of success (or changing your life), no matter what. The deadline is May 30th. Too many people start applying and never send it. Please don't be that person. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to be curious, driven, and willing to bet on yourself. And if you're a woman reading this: the research says you might be talking yourself out of something you're already qualified for. Beat the statistic.